Sporting joy for Morton marvels and Parish record-breakers

MORTON MARVELS -- the triumphant team from Morton Trentside who won the tag rugby event.

Published:12:42Monday 16 November 2015

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The Gainsborough primary schools of Morton Trentside and Parish Church are celebrating sporting successes after winning prestigious tournaments in tag rugby and football.

Morton emerged top at the North of Lincoln Tag Rugby Development and Competition Day, hosted by Lincoln Rugby Club at Nettleham. While Parish were the winners of Gainsborough and District Primary School Sports Association’s annual seven-a-side mixed football competition.

The tag rugby avent attracted five schools, with Benjamin Adlard, Lea, Scotter and Parish joining Morton. They took to the field in thick fog and were given some quick coaching points to help their game play.

With the ball being passed backwards and the youngsters reaching for the tags attached to a belt around their opponents’ waists, they were soon charging to the try line in some fast-moving action.

All five teams played some excellent rugby before the heavens opened and the playing conditions became unmanageable. When the results were checked, jubilant Morton were announced the winners, and they will now go on to the Lincolnshire county finals next May.

The school’s PE co-ordinator, Samantha Evans, said: “I could not be prouder of the children who took part. They have trained really hard and will continue to do so in the lead-up to the county finals. None of this would bhave been possible, though, without our dedicated coach, Darren Slack.”

Meanwhile seven schools took part in the mixed football event, with Parish beating opposition from St George’s, Lea, Charles Baines, Scotter, Morton and Benjamin Adlard to carry off the title for a record-breaking fourth year in a row.

Games of six minutes each-way produced some flowing, end-to-end football and brilliant goals, despite a strong wind.

After two qualifying groups, Charles Baines and Scotter emerged from a tough Group B, while Parish and Lea topped Group A. And after the semi-finals, the final was a repeat of last year, with Parish lining up against old adversaries, Charles Baines.

The match finished 1-1, which meant a penalty shootout that went to sudden death before Baines finally missed and Parish smashed home the winning spot-kick. They now go on to represent the area at the Lincolnshire finals, to be held at Sleaford in January.